Summit Man Says He Gambled In Conn. For Bond Money

A Summiy man accused of cheating at Mohegan Sun with marked cards told police he went to the eastern Connecticut casino to raise bond money for his anticipated arrest in Louisiana.

Bruce Koloshi of Summit, N.J., also known as Jeffrey William Elliot, was arraigned Monday in Norwich Superior Court on charges that he marked cards at a poker table on Sunday with ink visible only with special contact lenses, The Day of New London reported.

Koloshi said he was supposed to surrender in Baton Rouge, La., on Wednesday to face similar charges that he was using invisible ink to mark cards at L'Auberge Casino, according to a police report.

Koloshi is charged with cheating, conspiracy to commit larceny, criminal impersonation and being a fugitive from justice. He has cheating convictions in Nevada, Iowa and Illinois, court records show.

Judge Kevin P. McMahon said at the arraignment that Connecticut might want its "pound of flesh" from Koloshi before releasing him to Louisiana authorities. He set Koloshi's bond at $300,000 and continued the case to Sept. 27.

State Police say a Mohegan Sun surveillance operator contacted detectives at 1:55 a.m. Sunday after noticing a player at a Mississippi Stud table who looked like a "known card cheat" on a security bulletin from the Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement.

The casino's surveillance operator told detectives that when she reviewed video footage of Koloshi's play, she could see he was "clearly marking the cards." The ink he was using could only be seen when the video was viewed in black and white, according to the report.

State Police said Koloshi wore eyeglasses and contact lenses and that he eventually admitted the contact lenses "were designed to see things that you normally wouldn't be able to see."

The detective seized the contact lenses as evidence.

"The patron also admitted to me during questioning that he was in fact marking the cards and has done this at several casinos," State Police said.

Koloshi's lawyer, John D. Maxwell, said at the arraignment that Koloshi is the married father of four grown children and has worked as a stockbroker, real estate agent and most recently as a home improvement contractor.

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